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Raystown Lake / Saxton KOA at Four Seasons Campground maintains a dedicated dog fence area as part of their pet-friendly accommodations, allowing campers to keep their dogs safely contained while dining outdoors. This campground welcomes pets in tent sites, RV spaces, and cabins with clean, modern facilities that campers consistently rate highly. Lake Raystown Resort similarly accommodates pets in their waterfront sites and cabin options, with specific pet-friendly areas throughout the property. The bathrooms and shower facilities at pet-friendly campgrounds are well-maintained and regularly cleaned. Staff members at these campgrounds are particularly attentive to pet owners' needs, with campers noting the friendly service that makes traveling with dogs comfortable and convenient.
Hiking trails surrounding Raystown Lake provide excellent opportunities for dog walking, with several access points approximately 15-20 minutes from the campgrounds. Pet owners should be prepared for the predominantly hilly terrain at most sites, making sturdy leashes essential when exploring the wooded surroundings. During summer months, the lake offers cooling relief for both campers and pets, though algae can accumulate at some beach areas. Most pet-friendly campgrounds in the area enforce standard leash requirements except in designated containment areas. Wildlife is abundant in the region, requiring careful supervision of pets, especially during early morning and evening hours. While camping sites are generally spacious, the gravel pads at some locations can be challenging for dogs accustomed to grassy terrain.
"Both RV sites and lots to rent to pitch your own tent, fishing, huge lake with beach, lots of activities for the kids throughout the summer, one of the nicest parks we have camped at!"
"Fantastic lake side camping resort. Best for campers or using their cabins but it has freeway access to the lake and beautiful views."
"Pet friendly (spaces 1-30, Campground A), nice shower houses with heat, well laid out beach, beach house, watercraft rentals, friendly park rangers & staff, and in the center of trails galore!"
"Pets allowed only on a certain portion of the A loop."
from $20 - $48 / night
Check Availability"The pavilion where all those activities happened were right next to our site (22 with the doggie den)."
"The staff here at Raystown Lake/Saxton KOA are great. They a friendly, willing to help anyway they can, and keep the place spotless."
from $100 / night
Check Availability"One of the best campgrounds I have stayed at so far the pond is nice and has a 1/2 mile walking path around it with trees and beaches to stop and sit dog park is big and has a place for small or large"
"The campground is nestled on the outskirts of Bedford Pennsylvania and is a very easy location to travel to regardless of your rig size."
"Shawnee State Park is a very large campground (319 campsites with mixed electric and non-electric, some pet friendly, some not) about 10 minutes off highway 76 and 20 minutes from the Flight 93 National"
"The morning drive started early, had several stops and starts, and I was once again glad that my big dog was along for the ride."
from $20 - $110 / night
Check Availability"Ridge camp is the furthest away from the marina and the public swimming area. However it's the closest to the Allegrippis Trail system and from the entrance of the camp loop there is a trail head!"
"It’s close to bathhouse and playground if you want those. There is parking at every bath house. There is trash receptacles at the entrance to the loop as well as firewood or sale."
from $28 - $200 / night
Check Availability"We wanted to be close to Raystown Lake. Trough is quiet and small. It's really great if you're looking for a spot to "rough" it (not really, but closer than most!) with the kids. Awesome sites."
"Nice small park with gravel drives/roads and plenty of room for big rigs. All sites level with partial shade. Open, but with plently of space between sites. The trails are nice and very sceinic."
from $23 - $25 / night
Check Availability"The bathrooms are a bit of a walk if you're tent camping but they were clean and well stocked."
from $25 - $150 / night
Check Availability"We camped at Suquehannock for the first time in August 2020 and had a fantastic time with our dog!"
"We ended up with spot 3, which was on a cliff’s edge. So, it looked like it may be near the water, but there was no way down, and the forest obscured any view that may have been there."
from $25 - $32 / night
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GuideOne of the best campgrounds I have stayed at so far the pond is nice and has a 1/2 mile walking path around it with trees and beaches to stop and sit dog park is big and has a place for small or large dogs there is 3 play grounds all different and all well kept
GuideThis campground checks all our boxes. Beautiful scenery, quiet location, spacious campsites, full RV hookups, well-placed fire rings, dog park, nice large bathhouses, polite staff, and Wi-Fi that works.
This is located about an hour away from my home, so we plan on making this our go-to for quick camping getaways throughout the year.
Highly recommended. Definitely worth checking out.
TravelerClean well kept family owned campground. Located a few miles off 81, in the country surrounded by beautiful views. It’s a mix campground of seasonal campers and short term campers. Very family oriented. Very nice off leash fenced dog park.
GuidePreface: if your main objective is activities for children, you have come to the right place. This place is loud and full of kids.
We booked a site but chose not to pay to select which one. All the pictures looked great! We ended up on a grassy hill in the back. The spot was so unlevel there were 19 inches between my bottom step and the ground. This site was the same price as level ones closer to activities.
Also bathrooms were outdated. They had older residential toilets that plugged constantly. The day we left 2 of the 3 in our nearest bathroom were out of order.
Aside from all the above, the Dog Park is awesome. It’s the size of a real, normal dog park. The ice cream on site is also a nice perk.
RangerThis may be the first campground I give a 10 out of 10! All the amenities your could want, it's clean, sites are leveled, it's maintained beautifully, there are cows in the distance, fully stocked store, friendly staff. Laundry, bathrooms, fairly spacious sites, a pool, dog park. Very, very nice.
RangerGreat campground for families. Large water park that goes to 3 ft. Playgrounds, dog park, canteen, mini golf, jumping pillow, laser tag, pedal cars, gem mining are just some of the amenities. Very pricey during peak season. We did the camp & store at about $50/night.
RangerThis is a small campground with about half the sites being rustic electric back-in sites and the other being rustic walk-to tent sites. We stayed in the walk-to section. A lot of them are labeled "waterfront" by the park site but ours did not live up to that criteria so be aware of that. We were hoping to be truly stream-side but were not that near to it. The bathrooms were modern and clean. The park is extremely quiet and peaceful, probably one of the most remote PA state parks we've been to. The camper side was pretty full while we were the only ones on the walk-to side. We enjoyed walking the roads and little trails around the campground and seeing the old stone fireplaces/chimneys. There was a dog park area on the walk-to side which was nice. We liked it here.
GuideWe chose this campground for its proximity to home with the chance to swim in the lake.
The camping did not disappoint. We always try to book “outside” loop sites so we don’t have “back neighbors” but none near the lake were available, so we took our chances on an “inside” site in E loop. It was great, smallish, but plenty of vegetation to make it feel private. (Some poison ivy around the edges, though.) The pull-in sites in general seem a bit small (space for our two 4-person tents and that’s it), but are well shaded and separated from neighbors by small patches of woods or bushes. The pull-through sites in our loop were more exposed to the road, but had a bit more space.
There was some noise from the interstate. There were surprisingly few mosquitoes. The bathhouse was clean, but showers were not very warm.
The swimming was unfortunately disappointing. The roped-off swimming area was 3 feet deep at the most. Warm water in August, nice for kids to splash around, but not really good for actual swimming. Bonus for dog people: pets allowed on the beach and in the lake.
During COVID-19, the bathrooms/bathhouses at the beach area are closed; porta-johns only.
We rented paddle boards and a canoe one afternoon and paddled around to one of the lake inlets, which was actually deep and had a good swim. But this is technically not allowed.
If you feel okay about rule-breaking and have water-safe family members (and no pets), I would absolutely choose a site in I loop close to the lake. The sites in E loop closest to the lake are actually up a fairly steep hill from the lake path.
Hiking trails were nice. My kids especially liked the rock scramble-ish up and down the stream gorge on Evitt’s Mountain trail.
TravelerI was the only tenter at the time of my stay; had the whole place to myself. The sites are spread far apart and wooded. Table and fire rings are at each site. They have a brand new bath house which was spotless and a well kept dog park for the furs. If desired, there is a group campsite and the use of a pavilion too. The camp store if beautiful and has everything in it should you forget something. I’ll definitely be back.
Raystown Lake and the surrounding area offers primitive to full-service camping experiences throughout the hilly terrain of central Pennsylvania. Elevations range from 760 to 830 feet above sea level, creating distinct microclimates that impact camping conditions throughout the year. Many campgrounds near Hopewell maintain extended season availability through October, with several operating year-round despite the region's average annual snowfall of 35 inches.
Lake swimming and boating: Raystown Lake provides numerous swimming spots beyond the main beach areas. At Lake Raystown Resort, "there is a sandy beach which is perfect for swimming. Note there are minimum nightly stays over weekends during peak periods." Smaller, less crowded swimming spots can be found along the shoreline where motorboat traffic is minimal.
Mountain biking the Allegrippis: The extensive trail system offers over 36 miles of purpose-built mountain bike trails. As one camper at Seven Points (PA) notes, "This upper loop is also the quietest of the loops and although there were still plenty of boaters in the camp there were just as many bikers." The trails are rated IMBA standard and remain "open year round and in any weather."
Fishing without a license: Several campgrounds maintain private fishing ponds where no state fishing license is required. At Friendship Village Campground & RV Park, "There are multiple ponds on the property however only one of them can be fished in. No license is required for fishing here." Most private fishing ponds have catch-and-release policies, so bring appropriate tackle.
Off-grid disconnection: Several campgrounds offer a true digital detox experience. At Cowans Gap State Park Campground, "5 nights, 6 days with no cell or wifi to stress us out. Biking, Hiking, sitting around a campfire, very nice." Another camper mentions, "You are totally off the grid as far as cell, WiFi, and TV signal. Be prepared to be out of communication during your stay."
Designated dog containment areas: Beyond standard leash rules, some dog friendly campgrounds near Hopewell provide specific spaces for dogs. The Raystown Lake / Saxton KOA at Four Seasons offers "a dog fence just for that site that was maybe 6 ft x 6ft. It was big enough for our 2 labs to fit into when we fed them." This feature allows more freedom while maintaining pet safety.
Clean bathroom facilities: Campground bathhouses receive consistent maintenance. One camper at Friendship Village notes, "The bathhouse (one in the loop) was clean with 3 showers," while another at Cowans Gap mentions, "Bathrooms and showers very clean. Firewood always available."
Boat noise impacts waterfront sites: Raystown Lake's popularity with motorboats creates significant noise, especially during summer weekends. At Susquehannock, campers are "woken by bass boats and subsequent wake at sunrise." Another notes the "speedboats on the lake make quite a lot of noise."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Hopewell, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Hopewell, PA is Lake Raystown Resort with a 4.5-star rating from 13 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Hopewell, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 113 dog-friendly camping locations near Hopewell, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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